Money

Do you spend very little time on your finances either because it is so boring and tedious, or because you don’t know a lot about the subject and it intimidates you? You are not alone. Budgeting, saving, investing, and borrowing are at the bottom of most people’s lists of things they want to spend time on.

Managing money does not have to be so dismal. There are several easy-to-understand principles that can make your finances much more secure. You can rid yourself of money worries and build wealth by following these simple and easily implemented rules. And it might even be a little bit interesting and fun!

I have been fortunate to have studied and applied finance principles at some of the world’s best universities and Fortune 500 companies. My work experience includes accounting, taxes, budgeting, financial analysis, and investing. Managing a $300 million portfolio for a large company for several years allowed me to become an expert in the financial markets and investing. Now, in retirement, I provide financial planning, retirement, and investing advice to several family members, friends, and former colleagues, and I stay abreast of all key new developments in finance—so you don’t have to!

You might not realize that the smartest way to invest is also the simplest and that the primary tool for this effective investment strategy is the use of index funds. You can use these and many other similarly simple principles to no longer fear the subject of money and finances. You will be able to grab the reins of your financial situation and build wealth reliably and consistently, dramatically improving your quality of life.

Warren Buffett is so thoroughly convinced that high-cost actively managed mutual funds cannot consistently beat low-cost index funds that he bet $1 million on it! Now that’s putting your money where your mouth is. Buffett knows that over the long term actively managed mutual funds rarely justify their high fees with market outperformance. As a […]

People worry a lot about Social Security collapsing before they retire, and understandably so. The system is rapidly running out of money and Washington seems to have no collective will to pass reforms to shore it up. It’s a mess, or, as they say in Texas, if not, it’ll do until the real mess gets […]

It is the single biggest trap that investors, both novice and professional, fall into. They get anxious about the stock market and they pull all or some of their money out for a period of time. Don’t feel at all bad if you’ve ever done this, because you have excellent company. Some of the world’s […]

It happens to me all the time and I find it quite amusing. I’ll meet someone new at a cocktail party, they find out that I am a finance professional, and, invariably, they try to impress me with their stock picking prowess. It usually goes something like this: “Yeah, I bought an oil sands stock […]

I love my Type A family and friends, I really do. They are so energetic and have such “can do” attitudes! Type As tend to be optimistic and proactive, and I prefer to be around people like that. I think you become more like the people you associate with. A “can do” and proactive approach […]

Let’s start with the most fundamental question first: what is a mutual fund? A mutual fund is a type of investment that is made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, and other assets. One of the main advantages of a […]

Most people are overwhelmed with the staggering number of complex and confusing investments that are advertised by investment companies: Buy options and derivatives, they are the key to your financial success! Foreign currency trading—build untold wealth! Whole life insurance will produce returns that amaze your family and friends! Gold will ensure you a golden retirement! […]

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Most people are overwhelmed with the staggering number of complex and confusing investments that are advertised by investment companies: Buy options and derivatives, they are the key to your financial success! Foreign currency trading—build untold wealth! Whole life insurance will produce returns that amaze your family and friends! Gold will ensure you a golden retirement! […]

In the introduction to the Diet & Exercise section of my website I observe that while Type As are often avid exercisers, which is great, they also tend to fall into certain exercise-related traps. One is that they sometimes neglect to have a current goal for their fitness efforts, and without this their exercise eventually […]

When I meet someone who maintains a healthy weight I invariably engage them in a discussion about how they watch what they eat. Every now and then I hear something new, but most of the time they use the same key principles that all healthy eaters seem to have discovered. One key concept that all […]